The Islamic Revolution in Iran marked a stark change in the Middle East. The lands of Iran have experienced millennia of turmoil, but the revolution of 1979 was an unfortunate step backwards in the midst of Iran’s progress.
Under the Pahlavi Dynasty, westernization became a prominent goal. But was this progression positive? What made the people revolt and turn from their social progression to a brutal theocracy?
Although truly grasping Iran’s situation takes more than a few paragraphs, it is important for us to understand Iran’s history and what caused them to be in the situation they are in. Many today still remember when Iran was a thriving, upcoming society, and the brutal conflict that wiped it all away.
From its first records of settlement in 2000 B.C. to today, Iran has been historically defined by its continuous political turmoil. Formerly known as Persia, the lands of Iran have seen the rise and fall of many powerful leaders and multiple empires.
But in the 1900s, after a successful coup, Reza Shah then established the Pahlavi Dynasty which ruled until the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
The Shah did many great things for Iran, such as the construction of the Trans-Iranian Railroad and educational reformation to allow access for all Iranians — not just clergy. He also expanded the military power of Iran by instating conscription, and requiring two years of mandatory military service from all men at the age of 21. This allowed him to promote nationalism and education.
But the Shah’s reign wasn’t all smiles. The National Council of Resistance of Iran says, “In older generations across Iran, Reza Shah is remembered as ‘Reza, the Bully’ for his oppressive actions.” Iranians recall the Shah’s oppression of minorities, media violence, dismissal of the constitution, and forceful banning of hijabs. His rule was characterized by his drive for modernization and secularization.
The Anglo-Russian Invasion of 1941 saw the abdication of Reza Shah and his subsequent exile. His son, Muhammad Reza Shah, took the throne immediately after, and continued the route of modernization and secularization that his father had started.
The 1963 “White Revolution” — meaning “bloodless revolution” — marked a significant push for modernization modeled after the western world. This revolution was first outlined with a six point plan: “land reform, sale of some state-owned factories to finance, the enfranchisement of women, nationalization of forests and pastures, formation of a literacy corps, institution for profit-sharing for workers in industry.” More points were added over time, but the purpose remained: Iran was quickly becoming a modern, secular nation.
Many great things occurred during the “White Revolution” — economic growth, industrialization, increased literacy rates, decreased infant mortality rates, and more. But, the continuing disparities throughout the country made these successes hard to celebrate. Economic inequality was still rampant in Iran, most obviously noticed in the lack of equal redistribution of land to peasants.
The Shah made it his goal to become one of “the great five powers” in the world. His zeal caused him to essentially destroy his country in the long term, just to grandly fail at achieving international economic power. William van Kemenade wrote, “In 1973, six years before the end, it is generally assumed – with the knowledge of hindsight – that the Shah had lost his head completely when he announced the quadrupling of the price of oil, which would raise the pile of money under his personal control from $5 to $20 billion.” The Shah was fast-tracking the power growth of his nation at the expense of the people — especially those of the lower classes.
Amid the Shah’s turmoil, a new figure was climbing the popularity ladder; Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini was stirring up unrest amongst the already-frustrated people of Iran as he looked to become Iran’s new leader.
The death of Grand-Ayatollah Seyyed Hossein Borujerdi, Iran’s Supreme Leader of Shia Islam, signified the beginnings of Iran’s turn from quietism — separation of church and state — to the battle between the two entities, which ultimately resulted in the utter destruction of state and complete submission to theocratic rule.
But this ending was obvious before it came; “Borujerdi had personally ruled out succession by the radical Ruhollah Khomeini (then 59 and not yet an Ayatollah) with a warning on his deathbed: ‘Follow anyone you like, except Khomeini. Following Khomeini shall lead you knee-deep in blood.’”
Borujerdi would never know how true his statement turned out to be.
Khomeini quickly made a name for himself by openly rejecting the Shah’s “white revolution” and considered the Shah’s push for modernization anti-Islamic, since he banned Islamic traditions such as hijabs and he decreased the overall influence of Islam in government and politics.
A battle grew between Mohammad Reza Shah and Khomeini as the Islamist leader continued chastising the Shah’s lack of Islamic influence. The Shah retaliated by “destroying a leading seminar in Qom, where Khomeini frequently preached.”
After Khomeini’s anti-America and anti-monarchy speech at Qom, the Shah employed the SAVAK secret police to arrest Khomeini and send him to exile in Turkey.
But the rally around Khomeini continued. Then the Shah made a catastrophic mistake and attacked the Islamic Ayatollah and clergy, calling Khomeini “a foreigner (because his family came originally from India), an agent of the British, a drunk and a closet homosexual.”
Protests broke out in Tehran against the Shah. Many students took to the streets burning posters and furniture while yelling “death to the Shah.” Although partially about Islam, the protests primarily focused on the economic crisis of those living in the country and the corruption of the Iranian government.
But with Khomeini at the helm, the protests quickly turned into a revolution. People of all economic backgrounds came together to support Khomeini in his anti-monarchy campaign and pro-theocracy sermons that resonated with the Iranian people.
The Shah then ordered demonstrators refusing to disperse be killed. Supposedly unaware of this new marital law, protestors gathered in Tehran’s Jaleh Square and refused to move when told to disperse. In response, the military personnel opened fire on the protestors, killing over 60 and injuring hundreds more. This horrific event became a rallying point for the revolution.
The Shah fled Iran amidst the unrest on January 16, 1979. Ayatollah Khomeini swiftly filled the position as Iran’s leader when he returned to the country in February of 1979, receiving immediate welcome from Iranians.
The United States was quickly demonized by Khomeini and had become a target of the angry protestors after allowing the ousted Mohammad Reza Shah into the U.S. for medical treatment. The United States Embassy in Tehran then came under attack on November 4, 1979, as Iranian students took over the embassy and held over 50 staff members hostage. This lasted 444 days.
Sgt. Kevin Hermening, an embassy worker, described his experience in an article by the Disabled American Veterans: “They would wake Americans in the middle of the night, place an unloaded gun to their heads and pull the trigger in a mock execution.” The beatings and mistreatment of fellow embassy members was further described by Bill Keough: “A hulking man at 6 feet 9 inches tall, Keough lost 80 pounds before being released.”
By December of 1979, Iran created a new constitution establishing the country as an Islamic Republic. The Constitution required a supreme leader, who, of course, was Khomeini. The supreme leader — per article 110 of the Iranian Constitution — supervises all aspects of the government, including accepting or rejecting the elected president. Iran also has elements of modern governments, such as “a unicameral legislature (the majlis), executive led by the president, and judiciary.”
Life completely changed in Iran under Khomeini’s government. The Islamic Republic quickly began a new “cultural revolution” to “purify” the Iranian people after years of westernization. This purge included the three-year closure of universities, Islamization of education, dress code enforcement, harassment and abuse of minorities, and more.
In the following years, Hezbollah was employed throughout the country to enforce the laws and Islamic beliefs of Khomeini, and the government continuously shut down any media groups “judged critical of the regime,” in their quest for “purification” — more like manipulation and solitude.
These standards have continued in the decades following the revolution. In 2022, Iran’s morality police arrested a young woman, Masha Amini, “for not wearing ‘proper’ hijab.” She was beaten by the police and died from her injuries just days later. This tragedy, and others like it, have caused distress among the women of Iran, leading to the deaths of over 500. In addition, 22,000 detentions have occurred amidst protests against Iran’s theocratic government.
There have been wins and losses with Iran’s new government, especially for women. The country has managed to see improvements in certain areas, like dramatic increase in literacy rates since the 1970s, with female literacy rates reaching 88.96% in 2022. But women have been hindered by several cultural and systematic limitations, such as exclusion from fields of study like engineering and education.
Women are also able to vote and run for public office in Iran but unfortunately run into blocks when encountering the Guardian Council, who has historically rejected female candidates for president. Sexual segregation is also unfortunately prominent in many areas of Iran. Schools are separated by gender, women sit in the back of public transit buses, and various other forms of daily segregation are practiced. These forms of segregation daily demote the value of women.
The lack of care for women is shown in marriage laws as well. Although under the Shah the minimum age requirement for marriage had been incrementally moved up to 18, the current regime allows for women to be married at 13, or even as young as eight. This statistic becomes even more frightening in the light of Iran holding the world record for domestic violence against women in 2020. And that is with only roughly 35% of women in Iran reporting these abuses.
The state also supports these views of women with their continued practice of honor killings. According to Iran International, “[B]ack in December 2019, the ISNA news agency reported that between 375 and 450 such killings occurred annually throughout the country.”
Iran is a complicated country. Countries like the United Sates have intervened many times before, but it has never worked out. How do we help a people, many of whom choose to live under the theocratic oppression they are under? Is there an alternative that would be satisfying to a country so highly committed to their Islamic religious practices?
I wonder if the Iranians regret their actions. Is life truly better under an Islamist government? Was the Islamic Revolution worth it when the homogeneity of the culture is forced through oppression and brutality? Many questions remain as Iran’s complexity continues, and we must be diligent in our prayers for the victims of their oppressive rule.
Caily Shriver serves as an intern at Family Research Council.
